Roads Lag As County Booms

When it comes to population, James City County is Virginia's second fastest-growing county.

"As a result, we are experiencing problems with road improvement, but ... we are making progress," says Marvin Sauers, director of planning and development in James City County.

Rezoning partly eases the strain on roads, he says. Route 5, currently a secondary road, provides an example.

"Rezoning that strip will occur in stages until improvements are made." Major improvements can't be expected until 1995 or later.

Route 199, explains Sauers, is on the primary funding list for the next 10 years.

In the meantime, options are available to developers who would rather not endure what sometimes is a 10-year wait for road improvements.

He cites the 1,700-unit Green Springs development as one example. Its rezoning is phased through the year 2000.

"Also," says Sauers, "the developer has the option of waiting or of coming up with other means for the development to improve."

In other words, if the developer wants to pay for road construction, he can. Of course, home buyers are the ones who wind up paying.

County roads being worked on with state money are Centerville Road and the Long Hill Road connector, says Sauers.

"Those are just a small portion of our needs," he says, noting that secondary and primary roads receive about $1 million a year per mile from the state.

Again, zoning (or rezoning) is vital. "Development can occur before road improvements can be made. That usually happens," says Sauers, "on secondary roads. It can happen on primary roads, but when it does it's on the less-populated ones."

He also points out the county has about 40 miles of non-tolerable roads. "That sounds like quite a lot, but we're also one of the few counties with very few gravel roads. Most of ours are paved."

Most road money comes from the state under six-year plans, he says.

"So, as developments are built they can increase the road problem, particularly where funding isn't scheduled for the immediate six-year period."